


NurseyDex week 2k17

by Kt_fairy



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Aromantic, Aromantic Character, Awkward Sexual Situations, Consent, Developing Relationship, Domestic Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Getting Together, M/M, Roman AU, Soft Boys, Trans Male Character, Trans!Dex, Unplanned Pregnancy, nursey is the best boyfriend., period typical power dynamics, referenced transphobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-16
Updated: 2017-07-22
Packaged: 2018-12-02 11:03:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11508078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kt_fairy/pseuds/Kt_fairy
Summary: So itsNurseyDex weekand I thought why the heck not, eh?





	1. get together/ mutual pining

**Author's Note:**

> Look who's going to do a writing challenge on one of the most awkward weeks to do it! I'll be updating the tags with every part posted so be aware, and forgive all the spelling mistakes I'll defo make.

 

 

 Of all that things to happen to Derek in his life he felt like this was one that he deserved the least. Sprinting across campus to tell Dex he wanted to fucking date him before he got on the bus to leave for Maine for the summer? Why the fuck not! Derek’s life was ridiculous, Samwell was ridiculous, Dex’s unsure eyes when they had awkwardly hugged goodbye were ridiculous, why not be ridiculous and run into his arms like this was a dime a dozen melodrama!

 Just...Dex? Really? Of all the people he had ever met he was the one? It was just like that asshole to lodge himself right under Derek’s skin and make him care about him. Just like him to give Derek maximum fucking hassle over it too. For god’s sake why couldn’t it have been Anika from his Latin Poetry class? Why couldn’t it have been Ransom? Why not literally anyone else!

 He skidded to a halt at the usually deserted bus stop outside Campus that was a chaos of vehicles and students and their luggage, having to bend over with his hands on his knees as his burning lungs demanded more oxygen than the humid July air could provide.

 Dam, how long ago had the season ended? He really needed to do more cardio.

 He straightened up, trying to get his sore, lactic acid filled legs to work as he stumbled a few steps before they got with the programme, looking around with increasing desperation for big ears and red hair, and while he spotted each both individually and together they were not the right ones. Not his ones - and didn’t the fact he thought of them as _his_ piss him off even more.

 A bus pulled out and the idiot part of him that used to watch nineties rom-coms held it’s breath because the love interest was always just out of view and revealed when everyone thought they were gone forever. But no, no pissed of ginger here.

 Derek threw his hands up in the air and said a very loud and precise, “Fuck it!”, before bending back over to put his hands on his knees again as he was still feeling that cross campus sprint.

“Bad luck, dude”, a girl's voice said to him in passing and Derek grunted in response. Fucking Poindexter.

 He eventually stopped feeling like he had just run an Olympic marathon and started the long, long trudge back to the Haus, considering going to hide in Annie’s from the expectant then sympathetic looks he would get from Chris and Ford who he had left in the Haus when it had hit him that this could be it, that he would never be any braver than he was now, Dex always came back from break hotter and Derek was not going to A) live with losing him to someone else through his inaction, and B) was not going to pine over him anymore - it was embarrassing.

 His phone vibrated in his pocket and Derek wrestled with himself for a moment, wanting to ignore it if this was a text asking if he had caught Dex but at the same time...what if it was Dex?

 He pulled out his phone and took a deep breath, throat dry and sticky still from the exertion his run - if Dex was going to send meme’s at him all the way to Boston then Derek was going to fly up to Maine and kill him.

 

**my boi C**

 10:35

He got the times wrong & is in Haus 4 another 45 mins.

 

 Now, forty-five minutes would be plenty of time for Derek to walk briskly back to the Haus and admit to Dex that he liked him but at the same time forty-five minuets was no time at all for this so Derek gritted his teeth and took off running again, almost throwing his phone in the air he was gripping it so tight.

 He somehow managed to get back to the Haus only tripping up on the sidewalk once, stumbling up the steps on knee’s that were about to give out, heart hammering in his chest and T-shirt sticking to his back with sweat as he tripped in the front door trying to suck in every oxygen atom in the world.

 “Dude, where the fuck have you...oh shit!” Dex put supporting hands on Derek’s elbows when he grabbed Dex by his shoulders before bending over as much as he could because he had just gone light headed and ohhh no, he was going to puke.

“I’m gonna hurl.”

“Not on my fucking shoes you’re not!” Dex squawked, hustling Derek into the kitchen,“Are you really gonna hurl?”

“Water!”

“Shit, okay”, he shoved Derek down at the kitchen table and he immediately pitched forward to put his head between his knees, listening to his racing heartbeat and his heaving breaths that were burning his lungs. Fucking Dex.

“Here.”

A glass of water was shoved in his face and Derek sat up slowly before taking it and chugging it all down in one go, holding the glass out to Dex as he burped before panting, “Can I have another one please?”

 Dex gave him a weird look before glancing around the kitchen which was suspiciously empty of everyone who should be in here chirping Derek for bursting into the Haus like this, “...Sure.”

 The plumbing whirred as Dex filled up the glass again, his cocked hip accentuating his stupidly narrow waist which was in turn accentuated by his stupid broad shoulders, his hair a little ruffled, the collar of his shirt twisted.

 Derek took the glass with a smile and drunk it a bit slower this time, sipping down half before putting it down on the table in front of him.

“What the fuck have you been doing?” Dex asked, no - _demande_ _d_  in that way of his that really meant he was worried _,_  strong forearms crossed over chest, his green-gold eyes unreadable under his sharp brows. God, Derek was so in love.

“I ran across campus to catch you before you left, then Chris said you missed your bus and was here so I ran all the way back because I wanted to tell you I love you.”

 Dex’s lips parted over a loud gasp, his expression flying open as he physically jolted with shock, just staring at Derek for a moment before he dropped down into the seat on the other side of the table from him. Derek tried not to take that as a bad sign, it was the nearest one to Dex after all.

“The one thing in your life you actually leave to the last minute.”

“Dude, it’s a scary thing to admit to someone! It’s scary to admit to yourself…”

“‘Cause you’re so chill!”

“‘Cause you’re a fucking asshole and I love you! Asshole.”

 Dex snorted, “I love you bitch. Ain’t ever gonna stop loving you, bitch.”

“Fuck you and your memes!”

“I didn’t miss my bus. I couldn’t spend another summer not...not telling you”, Dex huffed like the old man he was, “You and me, it’s a bad decision Nursey, but”, he placed his hand, palm up, in the middle of the table, “you wanna make it with me?”

“Dude, that was such a line. What the fuck!”

 Dex shrugged, “What, you think I spend all my time around you and I wouldn’t pick up like, any of your poetic shit. I do love you, you know.”

“You should know I’m super pissed about it.”

“You think I was doing cartwheels?”

 Derek narrowed his eyes at Dex, surprised at the soft look in his eyes, the warmth in them, the...the love, “You mean it?”

“Of course I mean it”, Dex said so softly, yelping when Derek tried to drag him across the table for a kiss but instead just rammed him into the table which slid back into Derek’s stomach, “Dude!”

“Sorry, wait…”

“Oh my god do _not_ climb over the table it will not take your heavy ass. Just, wait there”, Dex said, exasperated, getting up to round the table and yank Derek to his feet, “You wanna kiss me?”

“Yeah.”

 Dex raised an eyebrow and Derek jerked in realisation, wondering whether to go for the romantic face cup to kiss him or just wrap him up in his arms. Then he remembered this was Dex and he pulled him in close by a hand on his ass as he slipped the other into his hair so he could make him tilt his head where he wanted it as he leant in to kiss him, smiling when he felt Dex’s fingers curl in the front of his t-shirt as he moaned into his open mouth.

 

 

 

 


	2. bed-sharing

 

 

"Soooo...ten bucks says we wake up all snuggled together with my boner poking your butt.”

“Why am I the little spoon?”

“It’s your tiny twink ass, I keep telling you!”

 Will sighed long and loud to cover a smile - it was a worn piece of ridiculousness, a joke that Nursey kept going because it only got more absurd with every pound of muscle and inch of breadth Hockey and growing up gave him (plus he always laughed, and Nursey took that as something to be proud of), “Yeah, yeah fuck you.”

“That’s not very twinky of you.”

“Okay, ten bucks says you say ‘ooh kinky’ when I try and smother you.”

 Nursey flopped across the bed in a pretend faint, arm thrown over his eyes and everything, “I have become predictable, say it isn’t so or I shall simply die!”

“It is so.”

“That was cold babe. Mad savage.”

“Be even more cold on the floor.”

 Nursey grinned at him upside down while he creeped on Will washing his face, waiting until he was rubbing in some lotion to say, “You wouldn’t kick me out on the floor. You’re too nice.”

“How _daare_ you imply such a thing! I will sue for libel.”

“I dare. _Que oso gagne_.”

“French?”

“Yup.”

“Ummm…” Will paused, parsing through what French he remembered from high-school to work out what that meant, “‘Who Dares Wins’?”

“Ten points to Slytherin!”

“I’m surprised you didn’t say YOLO you fucking modernist sell out”, Will complained as he shoved Nursey’s feet so he could slip into the bed.

“Old man yells at cloud”, Nursey said, looking proud of himself as he rolled under the blankets too, “I know it’s asshole-ish to let the air-con run so cold all night, but I haaate sleeping without blankets. I don’t know how the Californians do it.”

“I don’t even know how seventy degrees is cold for them.”

“Bunch of weirdos”, Nursey muttered as he wriggled around getting comfortable, only managing to kick Will twice, ”Urgh, move your fat ass!”

“Thought it was tiny?”

“Uurrrgh!” Nursey flopped face first into this pillow, “Night Dexy.”

“Night”, he grunted back, face already planted in a pillow as he listened to the quiet hum of the air conditioner that was turning the Chow’s guest suite at the bottom of their yard into the coldest building in the state, Will kind of wishing he could still hear the sea that was just two streets away from Chris’ front door. The sea was not as close as it was to Will’s house in Maine, that pretty much opened onto a natural harbour, but there was a big difference between the storm swept North Atlantic beaches and the (dare he say it) #aesthetic ones down here, and even though he loved Maine he was a little bit in love with the idea of California.

 But that may just be Nursey’s heels gently touching the backs of his calves like they were meant to be there.

 

 

 The thump of what was apparently the neighbours cat (so Mr.Chow had said yesterday when he was making sure they were settled in) landing on the roof jerked Will awake, blinking against the shock of being conscious, the hum of the air-con confusing him for a moment before he caught the familiar scent of Nursey’s hair, he used an almond oil thing to moisturise his curls, that reminded him of where he was.

 He made to stretch out his legs but Nursey’s knee’s were in the way so he shifted back to make more room to stick them out across his half of the mattress and…

“You owe me ten bucks”, Nursey muttered, poking Will in the side before laying his arm over his waist, totally unbothered by his hard dick lying against Will's asscheek.

“You laid there waiting for me to wake up to win the bet didn’t you!? What is wrong with you!”, Will yelled unable to move away because Nursey was holding him still, his breath huffing against the back of his neck making it clear he was laughing, “Fucking asshole!”

 “Yeaaaah,” Nursey drawled, grin obvious in his voice as he tightened his hold, Will about to deploy his sharp elbows to get Nursey to let him go when he said quietly, “It felt good as well so…” Will froze, mind body and soul, in shock. He had never with a guy...not really, and it surprised him how much he did like the weight and heat of Nursey’s dick through the material of their boxers. “...which makes it totally not cool for me to not let you get away, I'm so sorry”, Nursey tipped his hips back as he made to roll away and Will reached out to grab his wrist, “Oh. You holding me to hit me or…?”

“I’d never fucking hit you bro, what the fuck?”

“I dunno, shitty thing for me to do.”

“Lucky for you I kinda like it too", Nursey stilled, breathing steadily at Will's back as his pulse kicked expectation, a little bit of fear mixing in with a sudden nervous anticipation as he waited for Nursey to do something.

“Go on a date with me?”

“What?”

“Go on a date with me? I’ll take you to that taco place we passed on the way in yesterday.”

“You wanna...go on a date with me?” " Will asked the curtains, a little thrown and a little relieved in equal measures.

“I got my dick poking your butt, of course I wanna date you.”

“You wanna _date_ me?”

“Dude!”

“O-okay.”

“Yessss”, Nursey breathed, hesitating for a moment before brushing his lips over the back of Will's neck, moving his hand to rest on Will’s hip as he tipped his hips even further away, Will feeling his ears heat as he found himself missing the line of Nursey’s dick against him, “I won’t...unless you really wanna - I won’t do anything about this ‘cause I wanna wait”, Will twisted to lay on his back so he could finally look at Nursey, “I - uh - I don’t wanna rush. I wanna take my time with you”, Will felt his whole body flush, mind heading immediately to the gutter, and he turned his head towards Nursey to try and hide it, “You can’t be blushing like that while I’m tryin’ to take this slow man, that’s just unfair!”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tfw you let the fan (or airconditioning if u american) run half the night so you can sleep in blankets and protect yourself from murderers.


	3. alternate universe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, FINALLY, my degree and four years of staring at old stuff have been put to good use!
> 
> Please see notes at the end for some content warnings to do with the updated tags, this is a very nice - nothing bad happens kinda fic but I thought I should warn anyway.

 

 

 Boredom was the true enemy if you were an often cold, frequently wet, and homesick soldier stationed at the very end of the world. It was certainly an unexpected one since there was only a stone wall between you and those who would joyfully hack your head from your shoulders, those wild Scots stubbornly unwilling to accept the peace, safety, and comfort that only Rome could bring them. But they wilfully ignored the statement of her power cutting through their ancient lands, mocking it with their indifference, so the highly trained soldiers of Rome’s armies became builders and tariff collectors and were allowed the luxury of boredom

 There were plenty of women and boys in the forts behind the Wall for the soldiers to squabble over and entertain themselves with, the occasional comedic play came through to divert everyone from army life, and there was always wine to spend your pay on when you were off duty. Even with those entertainments monotony was a constant companion, there was only so much to do on eighty-four miles of wall that overlooked thick forest one one side and, well, less thick forest on the other, so the arrival of the Governor of Brittania’s litter caused quite a stir in the fort. The finely dressed young man who had descended from it to be greeted by the Tribune set these battle hardened veterans from every corner of Rome’s mighty empire to gossip like old women about _who_ and _why_ and _what the Tribune had done to deserve such a gift_ (and to expertly leer whenever an officer was not looking) like they had nothing better to do (they did have better things to do, the Tribune making sure the Centurion’s reminded them of that fact and just _who_ they were gawking at).

 The Tribune himself wondered what he had done to deserve this. A visit from one of the Emperor’s Freedmen, personal secretaries tied to him forever by a loyalty born of being freed by him, showed you had been noticed by the highest power in the mortal world. It could step you onto a path to greatness if you did and said the right things, or destroy you if you did not.

 He also felt in need of being reminded who those long legs tempting him from across the room belonged to because it had been too long since he had something fine in his cold and often dark rooms; a lovely round bottom, soft perfumed skin, slender ankles, eyes like the sunset catching on burnished steel - but his tongue was just as sharp as that steel and a temper that thundered about the Tribune’s rooms like the rolling storms that were blown in from the east by the monsters who lived across the sea.

 Being the _Tribunus laticlavius_ of any legion was a mighty and proud position to hold, he was two ranks below the General, had been elected to this post by The Senate, he belonged to one of the most rich and powerful families in Rome, but he could not magic things out of mid air nor change the way Rome’s mighty armies held onto her divinely ordained Empire. The Freedman did not seem to see things like this and although the belief in his powers was flattering, the constant demands as to why it was not so were intensely irritating.

“The Roman’s are the people who build mighty aqueducts to bring water from far distant mountains to our cities for the good of all citizens and yet our soldiers at Banna fort must _climb down a cliff_ every morning and evening _to collect water?”_

“It is a fort for auxiliaries, there are non-citizen men there from Dacia and Syria. It is un-agreeable to me, but the resources we have are given to them last of all”, the Tribune received a dark look from beneath red brows.

 Growing up in Egypt he had seen few red headed people. Even with his short stay in Rome, the centre of the world, he had seen few. Britannia was full of them of course, fiery hair to match their unruly and destructive personalities, but all he had seen streaked it with blue woad and kept it wild. He had never seen it clean and well kept, had not realised some strands amongst the red were golden like the finest threads on the clothes draped around the statues of the mighty gods until he saw them catch the warm, wavering lamplight that lit the centre of his modestly sized dining room.

“It is how it is in this army and on this Wall. If you wish it to change you may have better luck than I in convincing the General to do so when and _if_ he returns from Gaul.”

 The Freedman huffed out a breath like a disgruntled horse, letting one of his expensively sandaled feet slip off the couch he was reclined on as he reached out to pluck a piece of cheese from a bowl on the lavishly set table between them, tearing it apart with his long fingers as he ate it.

“If it is attacked by the Scot’s then the men and _horses_ within it will run out of water within a day.”

“If Banna is attacked (may Mithras and all the gods forbid it) we have four legions garrisoning this whole Wall,” the Tribune said, smiling into his wine as he could finally _show_ his power, finally wrestle the upper hand from this perfumed boy, this elegant busy-body, this distraction, “they would not have to hold for a day, let alone a morning.”

“If the whole Wall is attacked they will be the weakest part, you know this.”

 The Tribune pushed himself up from where he was reclined, a coldness, a fear that no officer in the Imperial Roman Army should feel filling his gut.

 It had happened three hundred long years ago but every Roman remembered the three legions who marched into a mist filled forest in Germany and never returned, killed to a man by the wild tribesmen who lived there, “What does the Emperor know? Are the barbarians massing? Has the Governor…?”

 The Freedman raised a hand like he expected quiet when he demanded it and the Tribune pursed his lips to keep his tongue behind his teeth, equally unused to being silenced by so lowly a person, but being in the Emperor’s household gave this man privileges - while the Emperor ruled - that Senator’s like his father only dreamed of.

“There is nothing to fear. This great Wall that the deified Hadrian built will keep this province safe. But Marcus...but the Emperor wants to be sure that all borders are secure for when Commodus succeeds him”, a flash of something bitter crossed his face at the mention of the Emperor’s son and the Tribune took a sip of his wine to hide any reaction he might let slip, “and through the nature of this isle this border is the most vulnerable.”

“The Emperor is unwell?”

 The Freedman sighed, “No man may live forever, not even the wise and just Marcus Aurelius”, he looked sad, the flickering lamplight catching on the planes of his face and the Tribune looked down into his cup.

“May I ask what he is like?”

“The Emperor? He is efficient and dutiful, well versed in the law and in all philosophy. He laughs easily, will always take the gentlest road if he can. He...he freed my family when I was a child and has been good to me. I know that depends on my usefulness but he made sure I was useful”, he glanced across at the Tribune, something biting in his eyes that he admitted he deserved because those thighs kept dragging his mind towards lustful places, “I fix things, I am _good_ at fixing things, I see what needs to be fixed. That, and because my father was a Briton, is why I am here.”

 The Tribune realised he was staring again and cleared his throat, adjusting his hastily unpacked Toga even though he had made sure the heavy fabric draped perfectly over his legs when he had first reclined. He kept his gaze down when he heard the Freedman stand, chancing a glance when he picked up the bowl of honey stewed pears as he moved around the table.

“Your family’s estates are in Egypt, are they not?”, he asked as he came to stand in front of the Tribune.

“Yes. My mother’s land is there, she is Egyptian. An old and venerable family. My father’s family has less rich lands in Italy and Greece but is no less...”

“A lot of the old Roman families look down on those who come from other parts of Italy, let alone the east. In no way am I, nor will I ever, see the world like they do. Your father became a Senator while you were still a child, yes?” the Tribune nodded, gazing up into the eyes that were holding his as coolly has they had from the moment he stepped out of the litter onto the freshly scrubbed threshold of his quarters, “You are in the army because you wish for military glory or to make your way into the heart of Roman politics?”

“I hoped for glory, I read far too much poetry as a child”, he explained, shifting when the Freedman perched on his couch, the Tribune trying not to watch as he popped a piece of honeyed pear into his mouth, waving his hand to dismiss the servant who was stood patiently in the shadows, “But glory is not found on the northern most border of an unruly and poor province that is more full of sheep than people.”

“Keeping the unruly in line can lead to glory.”

“Or it can lead to a whole legion slaughtered and cities set alight. I would rather grow moss up on this Wall than pay that price for just for a thing like glory.”

 The Freedman ate another pear as he gave the Tribune a steady look that he shifted under. Those eyes had been sent here as the eyes of the Emperor, and what better ones to send than these bright golden ones that burnt right through you. He licked some honey from his thumb absentmindedly, and then leant in closer so the Tribune could smell the floral sweetness on his breath, “I can have you brought south to the main city, to Calumadunum, if you wish. I can give you responsibility over more than just a stretch of wall. I can...I can move you to a province that gets more attention, have your name spoken in Rome before you return to her…”

“It is never wise to trust something beautiful that offers you such things”, the Tribune said, blinking at himself as he took a graceless gulp of wine and spilled some down his front, wanting to run off into the night with all its monsters rather than face what he had just said.

 The Freedman looked stunned, “I...people do not...I am not...I offer you this honestly.”

“Why would you need to offer me anything?”

“Because you did not ask for power, nor try and seduce me to get it.”

“Seduce!” the Tribune barked, biting his tongue against the jealousy writhing on it because this man was in the Emperor’s household, he worked for the Emperor and knew all this thoughts and hopes, it was not his place to be angry about such a thing.

“It never works”, the Freedman said, amused, laughing at the bitter look the Tribune could not help but shoot him.

“Did the Emperor make sure you were wicked as well as useful?”

“They can be the same thing”, he said smoothly, sitting back as he wiped up some of the honey sauce and then licked it off his finger. Oh yes, very wicked.

“You would not have to give me a single thing for me to do as you wish. I am at the Emperor’s command and, therefore, yours”, technically he was not, only when a signed order from the Emperor was produced could his man tell him what to do but a lot of the poetry he had (and continued) to read was romantic and he could not help himself.

“Not even a kiss? That is the usual price I am given.”

“There is no pleasure in anything not freely given nor forcibly taken.”

“That is a very un-Roman attitude.”

“I am Egyptian as much as I am Roman.”

 He nodded, lashes dipping as he looked down and away, “I have the ability to give power, my position gives me and the other Freedmen that, but they give it for greed and gain. Rome is rotten at heart, it is as clear as the nose upon my face when you have to live in it, and, if you are as intelligent and dutiful as I think and use my help wisely, you will have your voice listened to there, and you would bring some small sense of nobility back to it I think.”

“You have known me a day, most of which we argued about engineering!”

“It is because you argued with a representative of the Emperor that I know you have no greed for power”, he said, amused. “And...I saw you before, when the Senate appointed you to this post, and I kept an eye on you.”

 The Tribune thought back to that day two years ago, trying to recall spotting him even in passing but all he could remember was his sister's husband shaking him in congratulations and his father finally, finally looking proud of him. It had been a small moment of glory in comparison to all of Rome's, but it had been his, and this man had seen it, had watched him and had not seen a rebel or a dreamer or a disappointment, but someone who could do some good in a slowly crumbling world.

 A smile spread across the Tribune’s face as he felt his cheeks heat like they had not since he was a boy, smile widening when he saw the flush on those pale cheeks. He ventured to put a hand on the fine fabric of the tunic the Freedman wore, feeling the heat of his body under it (it made sense he was so warm when the country he came from was so fucking cold), rolling his eyes at himself for doing what he knew all his men thought he was up to, “As long as you do not wish to make me the Emperor…” the Freedman shook his head, eyes wide, “...or wish to use me to wield your own power?”

“I would not have come to the arse end of the Empire if I wanted to do that!” He scoffed, narrowing his eyes as the Tribune set down his cup and sat up so they could look one another in the eye.

“Then I will accept your offer. But what do you wish for in return?”

“This is no transaction, this is…”

“I am the _Tribunus laticlavius_ of the Legio II Augusta, son of a noble family of great Egypt. I _cannot_ be **bought**...but I do repay kindnesses.”

“I am sorry, sir”, the Tribune blinked at the sudden deference, “I am not used to these sorts of...of intrigues and deals”, he tried to stand but the Tribune held him fast in his arms, the look on the Freedman's petulant, pretty face making it clear that he had never allowed anyone to restrain him like this before.

“I would have given you a hundred kisses even if you had nothing to offer me but criticism.”

“Too much poetry indeed”, the Freedman muttered, his eyes fluttering, still hesitant as he leant in closer to the Tribune who thought about what he could say to put this skittish creature, one moment confident and the next flighty, at ease, sighing when the body under his hand tensed as his grip slipped lower to rest lightly on the top of his buttocks.

“I am no Roman brute”, he said gently, “I would not seduce you with soft words and then take you hard until I have had my pleasure and only leave you hurting and used”, he started to sit back to put a respectful distance between them, “In fact, I will no longer…”, all his noble intentions faded to nothing when he was given a kiss that tasted of honey and wine, when a strong hand gripped the front of his Toga, when he breathed in the expensive smell of Imperial power, when he felt a body that was no lesser nor greater than his press him down into the cushions.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -This features period typical power dynamics, the characters are not on a totally equal footing, and there are some vague references to ancient slavery (which have Nothing to do with Nursey), so if that is not your thing pls be aware. There is also a blink and you miss it, very slight reference to a previous sexual assault, and some to prostitution as well.
> 
> \- I tried to make this accessible as possible to someone who has no idea about anything Roman, if I haven't then feel free to ask me to clarify and not be such a giant nerd.
> 
> \- If anyone could make a Toga look good it would be our boi Derek Nurse.
> 
> -meanwhile, in Han Dynasty China, Chris Chow is throwing the f DOWN!


	4. gender/sexuality headcanons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've cheated slightly on this one. I've used the outline of what was going to be a huge ass fic that I will never get around to writing, but I've always been behind trans!dex (trans! any character in fact) and didn't want it to go to waste.
> 
> See notes at the end for some advisory notices on the content

 

 

 Derek blinked into the sunshine shining obnoxiously through the window to land right across the rumpled sheets and making heat prickle along his back, grunting as he rolled on top of Dex, muttering out a, “I’ll protect you from the sun babe”, like he had done a hundred times before, smiling as he settled his chin on Dex’s chest so he had a wonderful view up his nose, waiting for Dex to shove him off, call him a dick, or coo that Derek was his hero in saccharine sweet sarcastic tones.

 It took a moment, Derek still heavy with sleep and reveling in how pleasantly achy he was from how well Dex had fucked him last night, for him to realise there was no response coming. He cracked open an eye to look at Dex staring up at the ceiling, opening the other one when Dex’s long fingers pushed into the roots of his hair and rubbed at his scalp in a way that made Derek want to purr. He had purred once before and had spent the next fifteen minutes laughing at Dex’s very red ears, but it had also meant Dex had not slipped his fingers into his hair for a while afterwards and no amount of amusement was worth that.

“S’up habibi?”, Derek asked quietly, propping himself up on one elbow, still laid out over Dex’s long body.

 Dex opened his mouth a couple of times before tilting his head so he could look Derek in the eye, “I think I’m pregnant.”

 To say Derek was stunned was a little bit of an understatement. They knew it could happen but it was still a shock. A big shock. Because when wasn’t it? Even people who were trying for a kid were still shocked when it finally happened like..oh my god. A baby!

“You…” He started.

“95% sure.” Dex said quietly, looking intently at Derek. “Are you...okay?”

“I…”

  


 

 Derek had known Dex was trans since freshman year because for him to be able to play on a men’s team the University, the coaches, and the NCAA needed to approve it, which, in Derek's long standing opinion, was bullshit.

 He had not know from the start, had just known something was up during preseason like the rest of the team.  They had all heard Jack’s raised voice from the corridor outside the coaches office when he was in there with Dex, the both of them and Lardo having deep conversations amongst themselves that had died away as soon as someone came close, Dex always in and out of the coaches office or medical centre.

 Derek had said something to him about it once, an off-hand comment meant to break the un-thawed ice between them and Dex had exploded at him, the first of their many fights.

 Eventually the team had been sat down, given an extensive LGBTQ senstivity talk from the head of the LGBTQ+ society, and the next day Dex had told them, revealing that all that plotting had been an effort to wheedle the NCAA to accepting Dex (he had agreed to a lower dosage of Testosterone so there could be no question of drugs cheating - Derek still did not think that was fair but it was not his body so had kept it to himself).  

 It had not changed anything in Derek’s opinion, Dex was still an asshole, and a couple of weeks into the season any awkwardness that had been in the locker room that mainly came from guys keeping their eye’s above the old top surgery scars or below Dex’s knees evaporated. They did not start looking, but the effort was less conscious, and it made Dex relax as well.

 I was easy to forget that he was trans, Dex passed so well that in their first few games you could see the shock when the opposition, who had only known from the media attention that the trans guy was Samwell #28, were confronted with a 6”2 ginger full of piss and vinegar. It became part of Derek’s college experience to have to come between Dex and the new guys on other teams who had thought the trans kid all over the news would be an easy target for jibes and rough checks, (he had been trying to hold Dex back mostly, but sometimes his anger had boiled over and Derek had tried to take some fuckers head off much to Dex’s amusement in the locker room afterwards).

 Then there had been the colleges that had wanted to put Dex in his own room to change, give him separate showers, told him to use the girls toilets. Some refused to budge even under pressure from their own players and on those occasions Derek had dragged his kit all the way to the room they had shoved Dex in so he could get changed with him. They were still not great friends then, but the first couple of times Derek had barged in to find Dex sat crying, hiccuped sobs echoing in the empty room, he would fling himself at Derek in relief, getting himself under control for when Jack and then the rest of the team would arrive.

 (The toilet issues had been dealt with by Lardo going in first, yelling ‘A MAN IS COMING IN HERE’ and Ransom and Holster generally being obnoxious outside the door and making a scene until colleges had just stopped bringing it up.)

 Derek never really been confronted by Dex’s trans-ness until they had shared a room in junior year; the scars on his chest had become less than nothing to Derek over the past two years, they were as much a part of Dex as Chris’ braces to be honest, but suddenly there were the daily T injections which Derek had logically known Dex was taking but had never actually seen him do. He had asked careful questions and when Dex had realised he was not winding him up they had chatted well into the night about everything, from Dex’s parents finally accepting their pigtailed (not so) little girl was actually a little boy when he was nine, to his middle school team fundraising to help towards his top surgery.

 In senior year they had gotten closer, begun hesitantly dating, Dex naturally cautious and Derek not wanting to put his foot in it. The tentative atmosphere between them broke one day when Derek had been about to roll out of bed to go cuddle with Dex and found him gone with blood on his sheets. Derek had panicked, giving Dex two full body pat downs when he had found him in the bathroom before he realised what Dex was saying through his laughter, “I got my period. Oh my god Nursey it’s just a period!”

“You still...you still get them?”

“Sometimes. They usually make me feel pretty bad but...dude your face!”

“Shut up! I didn’t know.”

“Yeah? Not just an excuse to feel me up?”

 Derek had been way too freaked out to find that funny.

 A year and a bit later, whilst eating grilled cheeses off a packing box in their first apartment, they had agreed that one day they’d like to have kids, adoption something they both wanted to do, but Dex was not against having his own if he still could when the time came, “I don’t struggle that badly with dysphoria. My breasts were the only thing that bothered me and they’re gone. The thought doesn’t freak me out, but I’d have to stop T…”

“We’ll come to that when we get there, okay babe?”

 They knew guys did get pregnant while on T, knew it was possible for Dex because he was still getting periods every so often even at twenty-six. Sometimes Testosterone shut all that down within a year, sometimes it took ages, it depended on the person taking it and, well, it seemed their care in the birth control area had slipped at just the right, or wrong, time.

  
  


 

“I...am I okay! Are _you_ okay?” Derek asked, finally broken out of his shock, realising he was laying on Dex’s belly and pushed up himself up onto all fours over him.

“Concerned about a lot of things.” Dex admitted, still looking at Derek carefully. “Mainly if you...I’m your boyfriend and boyfriends don’t usually get pregnant.”

“Dex!”

“I know we talked about it but this is suddenly very real and I...I don’t wanna. I don’t want you to...to be…”

“Dex, Dex, Dex. Dex. William. You having a vagina and all constituent parts isn’t a surprise. That is how we got here.”

 Dex blushed as he glared up at Derek, “Don’t be fucking flippant when I’m trying to ask you if you want to keep it.”

 Derek sat back on his heels, blowing out a long breath as he looked down at Dex looking up at him with worry in his eyes, “That’s not my choice habibi.”

“You know what I mean. You signed up for a trans boyfriend, yeah okay, but we barely talked about it…” Dex began ranting, irritation always making him more talkative, pausing when Derek caught up his hands.

“What do _you_ feel about this? This is your body.”

“I am...worried. About my health, about the baby’s, about the fact we got no medical advice before I started growing a human, the whole fucking human growing thing, money, paternity leave, finding male pregnancy clothes but...I’m not freaking out.”

 Derek tangled his fingers up with Dex’s and leant down to press their foreheads together. “You sound like you wanna keep it?”

“As long as it won’t damage me or my health - kinda. Yeah”, Dex admitted, eyes flicking everywhere before focusing on Derek.

“Then”, Derek said softly, letting go of one of Dex’s hands so he could place it on his stomach, “I think we need my ma to help us find a specialist OBGYN and we should make an appointment.”

“Yeah?”

“‘Course. I can’t _waaait_ to deal with you being all cranky and pregnant.”

“Your support touches me.”

“I am famously supportive”, Derek declared, ducking down to kiss him slowly, the both of them smiling so hard it was almost impossible to keep going but they pushed through, one of Dex’s warm hands running up and down Derek’s back.

 

                                                                                           _X_

 

“What the fuck is that?”

“I...I don’t know what you want me to tell you, D. It’s a Falc’s branded crib filled with baby clothes and merch…”

“I can see that.” Nursey dropped his bag and made his way over to where Dex was standing in the middle of their new apartment surrounded by empty boxes from where he had been finishing up unpacking (it was their third one, he was an expert by now), looking down at a large blue and gold crib decorated with cartoon falcons wielding hockey sticks.

 Nursey pecked Dex’s lips, hand automatically going to rub smoothing circle onto his lower back, “That is...did Bit’s send us this?”

 Dex huffed, “It looked like it, but I dropped the card and couldn’t be bothered to bend down to pick it up.”

 Seven months ago he would have chirped Dex to filth for that, even three months ago when Dex’s bump was still kind of small he would have laughed, but now Dex was visibly and sometimes uncomfortably pregnant and Derek did his best to keep his automatic responses on the down low.

He ducked down to scoop up the card that had fallen under the crib, looping his arm around Dex as he read it out.

“Dear Nursey and Dex, again I am so sorry that I was forced to miss the baby shower as Training Camp had just begun. I hope you are pleased with the play kitchen and book of recipes for kids Bitty wrote, dedicated, and gave to you, and that these will come in useful. _Amicalment_ , JZ.”

“So, how much do you think Jack’s 110% friendship think’s we’re worth?” Dex muttered, testing the integrity of the grate on the side of the crib.

“At least six hundred bucks”, Derek mused, letting his hand trail down Dex’s back as he leant forward to pick up a a box of kid’s skates, “Seven hundred!”

“And here was me thinking you blowing two hundred bucks on pregnancy clothes for me was a treat”, Dex teased.

“Yeah, that was for you! This is like, basically two years worth of shit for our kid. Six with the skates”, Derek protested, waving the box of skates around, then noticed the cocked eyebrow Dex was shooting at him. “Oh, no I mean…” Derek pressed himself up against Dex’s back, folding his hands around his narrow hips. “There’s one treat he can’t give you.”

 Dex tilted his head back, smile pulling at his lips. “Is that right?”

“Only treat you’ll ever need.”

 Dex was laughing as he craned his head to kiss Derek. “Copy Editing has not helped your dirty talk one bit, babe.”

 Derek slipped his hand up over the smooth roundness of Dex’s bump. “Who needs dirty talk when I can _do_ the dirty so well.”

“Can’t believe you actually managed to knock me up.”

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic contains discussion of Dex taking lower T dosages to play in the NCAA, discussion of transphobia in the form of other teams being dicks and not being allowed the use of male facilities, he experiences periods, there is a discussion of keeping the child and he is shown being pregnant.


	5. hurt/comfort

 

 

  Bitty had finally, with a roar of triumph that had been audible from a good way outside the house, managed to find a new (-ish) replacement for the Green Couch™. It had taken nearly all of his time living in the Haus and a concerted effort with the sin bin after Will had got the new dryer but he had found one on Craigslist and duly dispatched Will, with cookies for his troubles and Nursey who wordlessly joined him to help out, to pick it up. After struggling down two flights of stairs with it and spending more time than Will would like to admit figuring out the ratchet straps they had it safely secured in the back of his truck, the tarp covering it rippling slightly in the breeze as they drove down the freeway, Nursey slouched in his seat listening to the quiet radio as he watched the car’s go by, yawning occasionally.

 Will knew him well enough by now (he would never have admitted it at the time but he had known Nursey well enough about two years ago) to know he was building up to saying something, but, as Nursey could just as easily come out of this pensiveness asking if Will wanted to fuck as he could offering to treat them both to take-out, he never liked to make a guess as to what it could be.

 “You know William, I love you,” Nursey finally declared when Will was about to work himself up into cursing out a Mercedes who was trying to push in front of them in the queue to leave the freeway.

“Love you too, bub”, Will grunted automatically as he carefully closed up on the car in front. Nursey was one of his best friends and he cared about him a lot, more than he had about anyone he had not grown up with - well, he cared about C a hell of a lot too, a lot of the team in fact, but it wasn't quite the same. Of course, he was not having sex with Chris, you did not need to have emotions about someone to have great sex with them, he knew that very well, but with Nursey he could feel the difference, and it was a good one.

 Nursey flipped off the Mercedes as they passed it, letting Will get on the road that would eventually lead back to Samwell before saying easily, “No. I love you. I’m _in_ love with you”.

 Shock was the main emotion Will felt, as he thought most peoples would be in his situation, be it bad or good shock, but what came after the initial surprise was sadness, which he did not think was a very common reaction to being told someone was in love with you. He didn’t feel like that about people, not in the way Nursey apparently felt about him, not in the same way at least, and he was going to cause Nursey pain because of it, his heart clenching behind his ribs as he glanced across at his handsome, melancholy face, resignation to the situation clear in every line of his body.

 “I…”, he had no idea what to say, hand slipping off the steering wheel to rest on his thigh, glancing across again to find Nursey watching him.

“I didn’t try not to love you, I know I couldn’t stop myself, and I probably will keep being in love with you for a while. I’m sorry.”

“Hey”, Will said in a softer voice than he expected, reaching across to touch his fingers to Derek’s smooth arm, “As someone once ranted at me; No-one should ever say sorry for who they love.”

 Nursey beamed a fuzzy smile at him and even though Will was not in love he was helpless to smile back, feeling warmth spread inside him, “That’s why I’m in love with you, growth like that.”

“Thank you.”

“It helps that you’re very hot.”

“If I'm very hot I'd hate to hear what you are", Nursey giggled at that, rolling his head against the headrest, absentmindedly slotting their fingers together.

“I don’t care if we stop the sex. It’s really good but I’d rather still be chill with you than mess what we have up with fucking _and_ feelings. An’ I can only really stop one right now.”

“Well I...it’s not just me. They’re your feelings, D.”

 Nursey sighed, “I don’t want to make you feel bad, but I couldn’t not to tell you. That would be so shitty.”

“Even though I can’t fall in love, I still care about you a lot”, he squeezed Nursey’s hand, “I’m...sad that I can’t feel the same way about you,'cause it's not gonna be nice for you.”

“...Are you weirded out?”

“No.”

“Oh.”

“Just because I don’t understand romantic love or feel it doesn’t mean it freaks me out when faced with it. It, uhhh, doesn’t mean nothing to me, but I don’t think it’s as big a thing than if I could feel like that and just didn’t about you,” Nursey let out a pained little noise and Will’s sadness sharpened, wanting to reach out and give him comfort but he couldn’t because Nursey had decided to tell him this whilst they were in a moving fucking vehicle, “Shit. I’m sorry Derek.”

“You can’t help it. Like I can’t help it, it’s…”, Nursey’s voice caught on something wet in his throat, turning his face towards the window to try and hide the tears Will knew were coming. That decided it and he pulled them over into some bike shops parking lot, leaning over the gear stick to slip an arm around Nursey and let him tuck his face into Will’s neck.

“I care about you more than I care about most people. Whatever it is we have is a, a privilege and...something to be happy about. It’s not an ‘I’m in love you’ and I totally understand if that's not enough for you, you _deserved_ to be adored or whatever, but it’s more than I thought I’d be able to give to anyone.”

 Nursey’s hot breath ghosted over his neck for a little while until he wormed out one of his arms that was trapped between them and flung it around Will, “It’s enough.”

“Don’t- don’t settle”,Will breathed, suddenly afraid, like he always was, of letting someone down, but mostly for Derek who’s easily broken and bruised heart was beyond his ability to shore up from the world and, it seemed, from him, “If you want love you should have it Derek. There’s literally a billion more people out there."

“I want you though”, that as almost too much, a rush of emotion hitting Will and he sniffed wetly despite himself, Nursey pulling his head back with concern writ large on his face, “I’ve upset you now, haven’t I?”

“I don’t know how I won’t hurt you in the long run. Either just 'cause I just won’t understand when I do something.... That ‘cause I’m can’t feel like that I won’t know what things will hurt you ‘cause I don’t know this kinda love. I literally just did it, I hurt you just now because I don’t understand.”

 Nursey shifted so they were face to face, knocking their noses together gently as he whispered, “We’re an odd couple anyway, you and me, and I knew what I was getting myself in for with you and I did it anyway because - 'cause ease can make you happy but sometimes that is not enough, yeah? If we make this something permanent it’ll be hard work but - but I’m in love so I think it’s worth it but do...” he shifted, throat clicking as he swallowed, “... do you think what you feel will be enough for you to stay when it gets hard?”

 Even if caring was not enough his stubbornness would be, and he did not think that was an encouraging thought, “I don’t know. If it is you can’t let yourself think it’s romantic what I feel, you know that right?”, Will said desperately. He was so out of his depth, had no idea if what Nursey was suggesting was going to work or if it was inevitable that it was going to end up a burning, mangled wreck with the both of them regretting it, “You can’t stick your head in the sand and tell yourself it’s that kind of love ‘cause you’ll get your heart broken. I care about you and I lo...I wish there was more than one fucking word in English for love it’s making this so fucking difficult!”

 “I know, man”, Nursey smiled tentatively, “This may just be me being a naive romantic, but you make sexual attraction and platonic love sound just as good as romantic love, to me. You care enough to get upset about maybe hurting me, that’s...that’s important.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, very.”

“Okay”, he lied, letting himself be kissed lightly on the lips. He could not talk from a point of knowledge about this emotion that he was born missing, but if he was going by what he had seen and heard about romantic love then what he felt would never be enough. Never be what Nursey deserved, but he had no idea how he was going to tell him all that without insulting him, “Thank you for telling me. Uhh, about that. I’m glad I know. I’ll try...”

 Nursey shook his head, planting his hands on Will’s shoulders so they could look at one another properly, “Let’s get this couch into the Haus and we’ll take our time and talk this out properly because...it may be the dumb thing to do but I want try, with you. I want to try, if you do.”

 Will took a deep breath, looking into Nursey’s pale almond eyes that were trying to not look desperate, his soft bottom lip being gnawed by his front teeth and the gap there that had always charmed Will much to Nursey’s delight, felt his strong hands squeeze at his shoulders and knew he was going to end up making his best effort at this, “That sounds like the smart thing to do.”

“Do you expect anything else from me?” Nursey joked, sounding fragile still.

“Honestly? No”, Will admitted as he put the truck in drive, feeling Nursey grinning at him and as he tried to tramp down the guilt that was settling in his stomach.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This could've been day four's ficlet, I know, but why not run riot all over very letter in LGBTQ+?


	6. Soft™

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I could not settle on one soft, so have a selection.

 

 

 Will was used to rain storms rolling in from nowhere, he lived on the coast after all and squalls could come out of the clear sky over the Atlantic in a matter of minuets. Inland was a little different, dark rumbling clouds in the distance usually gave you warning, but the only only one they got today was a sudden pick up in the breeze, a coldness in the suddenly sweet smelling air and Will dragged Nursey under one of the big trees on the quad just before the downpour started.

“Oh my god dude, how the fuck did you know?” Nursey yelled over the sound of the rain, pulling the collar of his coat tighter around his throat as he peered out at it with wide eyes, other students caught in the cloudburst sprinting past or coming to huddle up under the tree as well, soaking wet and laughing at one another.

“Part sea creature.”

“Here was me thinking you wanted to make out with me under a tree, all romantic and shit, and instead you were saving my hair from a terrible fate!”

“All part of the service”, he grinned, knocking his elbow against Nursey whose ears tinged pink.

“How long do you think it’ll last?”

“Uuh, not long. It’s only a cloudburst.”

 He was proved right when a minuet later the rain eased up and then stopped, the sun coming out like nothing had ever happened.

 They squelched across the grass that had not had a chance to soak up all the rain yet, helping a girl back onto the damp path who had lost a shoe in the rush, Nursey handing her a waterlogged ballet pump with an apologetic smile.

 They had set back off towards Faber again when Dex caught sight of a particularly inviting puddle. He did not know if it was the clarity of the freshly fallen water, the artful shape of it, or the fact he was he was coming up to four months with Nursey (a nothing anniversary really but one he was very happy, and very amazed, about none the less), but he marched over and jumped in it, feet flat to make the biggest splash he could.

 Nursey yelped, laughing as he tried to defend himself with his book bag when Dex jumped in it again, soaking his jeans, “Dude!”

“Come on! What’s better than splashing around in a good puddle?”

“Dry socks.”

“Where is your poetic soul?” Will teased, laughing when Nursey heaved a sigh through the grin pulling at his mouth and jumped in after him, the two of them racing down the sidewalk splashing one another in every puddle they could find.

                                                                                     

                                                                                     _X_

 

 A clogged groan greeted Derek as he shouldered into his room, quickly followed by the wet sound of a very blocked nose being blown.

“Still at death’s door huh?” Derek asked he kicked the door shut behind him, the sounds of the party he had left downstairs becoming muffled .

“I can’t remember what it’s like to smell things”, Dex huffed from where he was sprawled out in the blanket fort Derek had made them, not moved an inch from where he had fallen when Derek had got up to reheat the soup he had made this morning. Despite what everyone liked to think Derek could cook, and cook well, he was just more of a big pot cooking kinda guy than having to keep an eye on several things at once, and Dex’s Granny Lipman’s chicken noodle soup was right in his skill set.

“You made me soup on Halloween, you’re wonderful”, Dex mumbled, the fairy lights that Derek had stolen from the party decoration box in the basement giving the fort a soft, comforting glow that put warmth back in his sickly, sallow complexion.

 Dex did not get ill often, but when he did it knocked him flat.

“I’d blame the drugs but you’d’ve said that stone cold sober”, Derek said as he settled back down next to Dex who immediately burrowed back into Derek, sighing when he ran a soothing hand up over his chest.

“You _are_ wonderful.”

“What movie did you pick?”

 Dex had come down with the cold from hell two days before Halloween and he had told Derek to go to the party without him, that he would be fine alone upstairs with crackers and water which proved just how ill he was because he knew Derek far too well to even _think_ he was going to abandon him for a fucking Keagster of all things. Derek may have spent months on their outfits (Fred -Dex- and Wilma -Derek- Flintstone) but they could wait until next year, tonight they were going to fill up on chicken soup and fruit, keep Dex hydrated and drugged up and covered in vapour rub, watch scary movies, and then he could laugh at all the horribly hungover people tomorrow.

 Well, the movies would be as scary as their scaredy-cat asses could handle.

“Hocus Pocus”

“Oooh, a fucking classic of cinema. Sa-weeeet”, Derek muttered as he hit play on Dex’s laptop, shoving Dex until he sat up enough to take the mug of soup from him, “I let it cool a little so you wouldn’t burn your tongue. And put extra spice in yours to help clear out your sinuses and so you could actually taste something.”

 Dex made a snotty noise and sipped his soup as the opening titles played, making a hum of approval and knocking his shoulder against Derek’s, “Thank you. Granny would’ve approved.”

 Bette Midler had hardly come back from the dead before Dex had gone lax against Derek, his head resting on Derek’s chest as he breathed shallowly through his mouth, fist clenched protectively over Derek’s heart.

 

                                                                                     _X_

 

 The snow had fallen solidly overnight, Will knew it as soon as he snapped wide awake at six am to the ringing silence that thick blankets of snow always brought. He was too used to getting up and digging out half his street to curl up and doze no matter how warm and pliant a sleeping Nursey could be, nor the pitiful little whine of protest he let out when Will slid out of bed, hand flailing for him in the sheets before he slipped back into a deeper sleep.

 He carried his snow boots downstairs so as not to disturb anyone and went to get the snow shovel out of the basement, sneaking a bottle of five dollar vodka out of the tub juice stash to pour on the blade to help stop the snow sticking to it, and got to work.

 Two hours later he had theirs and a couple of the other houses path’s cleared, him and a girl from the sorority next door who was from Minnesota clearing a good section of the sidewalk before they decided to call it quits and she invited him into their house for some breakfast her boyfriend was making - porridge and maple bacon, weird but he didn’t hate it.

 Dex returned to the Haus just as the other residents of frat row were emerging to look at the snow and start to muck about in it, Chris already bundling himself up in every bit of warm clothing he had while Cait laughed at him, gratefully accepting Dex’s sheepskin lined hat with the flaps as he went to have a quick, hot, shower to get rid of the sweat he had worked up and chase the chill from his extremities.

“You been savin’ the world again, babe?” Nursey murmured softly from his blanket burrito when Dex emerged, “Come back to bed”, the timbre of Nursey’s voice was always warm, like a crackling wood fire in the depth of winter that warmed your body and nipped at your frozen fingers, and Will would never not blush at how easily it worked on him. “You’re all pink”, Nursey pointed out once Will had settled against the headboard, rubbing his suddenly tired eyes as he yawned.

“Cold out. Hot shower.”

 Nursey hummed as he pushed himself up to sit next to Will, “You’re so cute.”

 Will glanced over at Nursey who was all the more breathtaking for his half a head of squashed curls and sleep clogged eyelashes, “You’re beautiful.”

 Nursey batted it away as if it was of no importance even if Will was close enough to catch a faint pink on his cheeks, his attention fully turned to Will’s damp hair as he extracted a hand from the blankets and dragged his warm fingers through it, pulling the wet strands straight up.

“I just combed that”, Will huffed.

“Indulge me”, Nursey rumbled like Will would do anything but as he ran both hands through his hair to pull it up into a mohawk that held for a moment before flopping forward over Will’s forehead, “That’s a terrible look.”

“I’m very glad to hear it”, Will said quietly as Nursey finger-combed his fringe back off his face, considering him before parting it on the opposite side Will usually did and then pressing it down at the sides.

“Nope”, Nursey declared, ruffling Will’s almost dry hair back into a semblance of its usual style, “this is just right.”

“Nursey...”

 Nursey kissed his cheek, “Just”, he kissed him again on the lips, “right.”

 

                                                                                     _X_

 

 The Poindexter's were just as loud and sprawling as Derek thought they would be from what he had seen of them over Skype. Dex's older brother had been polite but kept his distance from them which was...not okay, but it was not open aggression, which is what Derek told himself whenever he noticed Dex's mouth press into an unhappy line. Which was not all that often as his nieces and cousins were revved up on sugar and the excitement of the day, and were beside themselves that not only was uncle Billy was home but he'd bought an equally large friend they could make spin them around and throw in to snowdrifts, shrieking in delight.

"You sure this is safe?", Derek asked as he watched the smallest two heave as hard as their little arms could to pull the oldest girl up. 

"Totally. We used to get our older cousins to shove us out on the frozen river, _that_ was unsafe", Dex said proudly as he went to pull the girl out of the snow by her legs. 

"Up please!", said a lisping little voice next to his knee and Derek looked down and the tiniest Poindexter who was almost swallowed by her padded snowsuit and red knitted hat, her little mittened hands held up to him as she looked up, and up, and up at him with the large clear eyes all little kids had. 

"Sure kiddo", Derek bent to scoop her up, settling her on his hip, marvelling at how tiny she was as one of his hands almost spanned her back, "You gettin' cold?"

"Sleepy."

"Wanna go in?"

"I want...I want to watch them."

"Okay, we'll watch your cousins being reckless."

 She tucked her head against his shoulder so she could watch Dex dump an armfull of kids into the snow, repeating quietly, "Weckless."

 Dex stood back, laughing at the pile of squirming kids trying to chuck snow at him. He tugged at the flaps of his hat as he glanced over, his eyes flicking across Derek and the little girl in his arms, his smile becoming unbearably fond as he looked at Derek whose heart fluttered warmly in his chest as he smiled back.

 They were called in to dinner not long after that, Derek taking charge of getting the kids out of their snow gear and making sure they did not tramp snow all across the house while Dex went off to help lay the table, herding them into the bathroom to wash up before letting them stampede towards the food. "Nursey!", one of the many kids declared, a small hand tugging at his fingers, "I like you!"

"Thank you, I like you too", he smiled, watching him race off to his place at the kids table.

 A strong arm wrapped securely around his waist, Derek tipping his head to the side to let Dex press a dry kiss to his neck, "Hey baby."

"Merry Christmas."

 He felt Dex smile against his skin, "Merry Christmas, you ready for dinner?"

 It had been a long three days, full of new people and new things and new places, everyone friendly, everyone chatty, everyone ready to love him, but it had been a lot, dinner would continue to be a lot, so he turned and pressed his face into Dex's shoulder, "In a minuet."

"Sure", Dex said quietly, smoothing an arm up and down his back slowly, gently rocking them in time to the Christmas songs coming from the radio that had been left on in the kitchen. 

 Next year they would be graduated, in a place of their own hopefully, and Derek could go crazy with the tinsel and Dex could swear at the dinner and they could sway like this for as long as they wanted to, just them, the start if their own little family. The thought made him smile and he shuffled in closer to Dex, making him sway a step back with a husky laugh, "Nursey! Careful!"

"Love you."

"Love you too", Dex whispered, turning his face in just enough to meet Derek's lips half way.

"Boys! Where are you...oop!" Dex's dad pulled up short at the end of the hallway, hands on his hips as she shook his head at them as they stepped apart guiltily, "Not even any mistletoe up! Your mom's being tryin' to catch you out all day!"

 

 


	7. future NurseyDex

 

 

_** Home >> Entertainment >> Movies  ** _  
_** CEASELESS SUCCESS ** _  
_**By Asha Phillips** _

_**25th August 2028** _

 

**_That Derek Nurse’s double Man Booker International Prize Winning ‘Ceaseless Light’ trilogy of books are being made into movies (the first one has casually won a few BAFTA’s and has gotten some Oscar nod’s that, if you listen to certain grape vines, are expected to turn into at least one award) is no surprise. The books have gone from a small, dedicated indie following to gradually taking the world by storm, something which has brought tears to the author’s eyes on more than one occasion when he was suddenly in demand after the second book in the series, “Avalanche”, sold out in stores two days after it launched._ **

 

**_He is no J.K.Rowling, a level of authorial fame that few will ever attain, but he is well known. All his book signings and Q&A’s are always very well attended, all available spots being snapped up within hours and extra dates having to be constantly added to his book tours, and he is always welcome on late night talk shows. Gorgeous and charming and startlingly self-effacing, he always bumps up the ratings and scores a few million views per segment of his interviews put up on line. _ **

 

**_Most of his private life is kept, well, private. We know he grew up in a nice part of New York, went to the Philip’s Academy in Andover where he graduated as valedictorian and then attended Samwell College where he played for their ECAC Ice Hockey team where, during his freshman year, he had the Providence Falconer’s Jack Zimmermann as his captain. _ **

 

**_Despite his refusal to talk about most of his life he does have a very popular Instagram that let’s all his fan’s know that he has just moved to upstate New York and is trying very hard to raise some chickens, he still plays shinney sometimes with his old college teammates (including Jack Zimmermann), and is the owner of two very sweet rescue dogs; a three legged Basenji called Rick and a one eyed italian greyhound named Coco, and has a Fiancé whose identity is kept secret - all we know of him is that he has been very particular about the construction of his new workshop and has a penchant for stripey socks that Nurse likes to document at all opportunities. _ **

 

**_The books have hit a chord with the infamous ‘Millenial's’ and ‘Generation z’ because of their familiarity with the desires and hopes of age groups that seem so impenetrable to those outside of them, turning anxieties into real things that cannot always be stopped. He gives a voice and a face to subjects, such as police brutality and systematic poverty that hang over the western world as well as its oppressive, constantly connected culture that breeds the heavy spectre of paranoia…_ **

  
  
  


 The blacked out windows of the car did little to stop Dex jumping at the sudden flashes of lights as they pulled up to the end of the red carpet, the noise of the crowd and the thump of the music being played to keep them entertained barely muffled by the door.

 Derek felt him looking at him as he leant between the seats to check his hair one last time before they left the car. He knew that Dex wanted, so so badly, to crawl into the trunk and pretend like he had never even agreed to accompany him to this premiere but was staying strong, for him, because he had asked him to come.

“Thank you for being here with me,” Derek said softly, turning his attention to Dex as he reached out to pry his fingers from where they were gripping his pants to bring them up for him to kiss, “If it get’s too much Sadie will take you into the theatre okay? Once John, Amy, and Thandie turn up no-one will care about us.”

“I’m more worried about looking like a rabbit in headlights in all the photo’s .”

“ _Habibi_ …” Derek sighed. 

"I’m not likeable or charming like you and me being here is going to taking attention away from you on _your_ big night anyway without me being awkward and not in the cute way”, he muttered.

“Dexy,” Derek said, tugging gently on the lapel of the Westwood suit he had bought for Dex that looked so damn good on him Derek was already planning excuses to slip out of the after party early so he could see how it looked thrown around their hotel room, “Who are you engaged to?”

“You.”

 Derek cupped his cheek and he darted forward to press a quick kiss to strawberry chapstick tasting lips, “Then what does anyone else's opinion matter? I’m fucking you, not them”, he gave him another kiss that lingered slightly, unable to help himself, “They already know you from the book’s, they’ll love you”, he reassured, squeezing Dex’s hand one more time before he turned to open the door.

 The noise that hit him almost made Derek jump, it was something he would never get used to, and he plastered on his nice smile for the crowd that was behind the flashing lights as he waved, smile genuinely widening as the noise got a little louder. He stepped away from the door and then turned back to offer his hand out to Will who was still looking like he regretted ever agreeing to date Derek all those years ago and he had to laugh, “What?” Dex demanded, hand going to hold his automatically. 

“I’m so happy I annoyed you until you said yes to coffee with me.”

“I came for the free muffins you know that”, Dex smiled, letting himself be pulled up, eyes still on Derek as he busied himself with neatening Dex’s already immaculate tie because, well, he could.

“Remind me to thank Annie’s again”, Derek murmured, leaning in to brush a kiss to Dex’s cheek before turning back to the red carpet, well aware of the extra camera’s turned on them, knowing websites were going to be exploding right now with all sorts of things good, bad, and in-between.

 Derek’s books were filled with people he loved. His parents the comfort in the darkness and Chris the boy who loved even the darkness unconditionally. Ransom was the girl screaming herself apart on the end of a pier and Holster the fireman picking up the pieces of her while telling her to be quiet. Jack was one of the boys lost in the stacks and Shitty the one who was there when he, alone, finds his way out. Ford was there every time the hero picked themself up from a failure, Bitty the determination even through the waivers of confidence, Cait the demand for action. And Dex, Dex was in every soft touch of hope and love, every quiet morning, every breathless run, every willing defeat, every acceptance he had wormed his way into, his absence, his hate, his friendship, his love. It was all there for anyone who cared to look. And Derek hoped they did.

 Dex stood with Sadie, Derek’s publicist, as Derek signed the all books and posters handed out to him and ducked into selfie’s, unsure what people were saying to him over the noise but he kept going, anxiety med’s working better than at the last premiere because he was actually aware of what was going on this time around.

 Sadie ran off to see who wanted interviews with him and what they would entail when they got to the media part of the carpet, Derek taking a moment to take a gulp from the water bottle Dex was holding and sneak some candies from his pocket. “You’re doing really well”, Dex said just loud enough to be heard over the noise of the red carpet, still looking a little stunned by it all.

 Derek reached up to fiddle with a few of his curls, twisting them back from where they had dropped across his forehead from all his whirling around signing stuff, “So are you.”

“I’m just standing around.”

“Standing around looking pretty as fuck. God, I’m gonna have to gush about you in every interview I do”, Derek smiled as Dex gave him a look.

“You fucking will as well.”

“Yep. Which is why you should come stand with me for one…”

“Derek…” Dex frowned, getting petulant but this ears were blushing and Derek had to stop himself from leaning in and kissing them.

“One of the smaller websites, the ones that do a lot for the fans? They always ask about you on Insta.”

“Maybe.”

“You're already doing a lot coming out here to support me, just think about it baby”, Derek said as he let Sadie drag him off for an interview with Empire.

 Derek always tried to respect the questions he was asked, to give thoughtful answers even though he knew he had become a bit of a meme for rambling but he knew they were all (mostly) out of affection. It was always a whirlwind of lights and questions and people he knew and kind of didn’t coming up to him and microphones shoved in his face but he got through it because these books were his babies and he could not stop giving them his heart and soul.

 He recognised a girl with blue hair (it had been purple last time she interviewed him), and he smiled when she waved at him, making to head over when Sadie caught his arm, “Will is coming in on this one, okay?”

 Derek looked around her to Dex who was trailing Sadie, hands in his pocket and a determined, if slightly reluctant, look on his face as he came up to him, “Let’s get this over with.”

“You don’t have to just ‘cause I asked.”

“I know, and I do”, he said, letting Derek put a hand on his lower back to steer him over to the out of the way bit of barrier where the girl was stood, her eyes bugging as she realised the scoop she was about to get.

“I’m so sorry, I remember your face but I can’t remember your name?” Derek spoke loudly over the noise.

“Jazz. It’s nice to meet you again Derek.”

“Likewise. This is Will, my other half.”

“Hey.”

“Hello! It’s nice to finally see a face. I don’t know if you know about it but Derek’s been keeping Instagram updated with the trials of getting your workshop right and it’s looking very cool”, Dex blushed and shrugged self consciously while Derek grinned at him, “I know we’re all here for the amazing stories that Derek has created and the beautiful way they have been brought to life, and this time should and will be devoted to him, but I just wanted to ask what you think of all this? The success, the popularity, the awards?”

“I uhh…” Dex started, then leant in closer to the microphone and Derek swore his heart doubled in size, “I’m not surprised. Well I _am_ surprised because I don’t think anyone expects all this, but, you know, they’re good books. They’re good stories and I always knew Derek had it in him and I’m proud he finally got it on to paper. All this”, he gestured around with his hand still in his jacket pocket and had to pull it out to finish the gesture, “is fantastic but what’s really great to see is how many people really love what he wrote. He never lets it show but he puts so much work into everything he does, always pushing himself to be better and I’m so proud of him and of how many people his stories have reached out to and genuinely helped. ”

 Derek knew he was good, he knew he deserved all this for the work he continuously put in, did not need anyone to tell him that, and even though Dex had said those things to him a thousand times, always frank, always honest, every time Derek felt like he would burst at the seams because he was making the man he was going to marry proud, and that was the best bonus he could ever receive.

 Jazz looked charmed, smiling with a mix of ‘he’s adorable’ and ‘people are gonna love this’ on her face. “They have touched a lot of people”, she agreed before turning to Derek, signalling that Dex was going to be left alone now and he actually sighed in relief, totally oblivious to the fact he was still on camera as he began fidgeting and looking around, Derek unable to keep the grin off his face as he answered all her questions.

 

 

                                                                                     _X_

 

“You’re gonna want to avoid the all stuff about this movie for the next month”, Derek announced as he flopped across the luxuriously huge hotel bed, burying his face in Dex’s stomach and breathing in the smell of sex that clung to his skin, still aching and hoarse from the obscene amount of it they had had last night.

“Why?” Dex muttered, poking Derek in the back of the head.

“Because everyone adored you, and you're a grinch.”

 Dex grumbled as Derek wormed his way under the sheets to lay on top of him, “What did they say about the _movie?”_

“Usual movie critic half formed shit about films not meant for them. I’ll wait to hear what the fan’s think of it, that’s the main thing.”

“How sanguine of you”, Dex yawned at him.

“Thanks. Those were nice things you said about me last night.”

“I say those things all the time when we fuck. We agreed on the praise thing.”

“Oh my god shut up! No! On the red carpet you idiot!”

 Dex giggled, “I know.”

“Seriously, it meant a lot that you came, and that you did an interview. Thank you”, Derek murmured as he kissed the purple marks he had left littered between all those freckles.

“People have said better...been more eloquent about you than I was”, Dex pointed out, running his fingers over the back of his neck.

“Ah, but when they speak choirs of angels do not sing.”

 Dex laughed, stretching his arms above his head as he let his legs fall open a little more, bringing Derek in closer to him, reaching up to trade slow kisses, Derek not caring about his bed-breath as he stroked his fingers over Dex’s narrow hips.

“So, you know how we pissed off our neighbours by going at it on every surface last night?” Dex asked, Derek grinning to himself at memory of the sheer reckless joy of it. Derek was a writer and even before Samwell he'd had ideas about getting it on over his future writing desk, but as it turned out the mahogany one he ended up falling in love with (and that Dex had refurbished for him) was an antique and they were both big, heavy guys - plus it's surface was littered in his complex non-filing system and the dogs had their beds in the study so it had never been worth the hassle. Luckily this hotel room had come with a lovely oak desk that could take both of their weight and a lot of rocking, “We kinda missed the banging headboard cliche and I was wondering if you’d like to do the honours?”

 Derek’s could remember when this man could barely take a handjob he was so self-conscious and now here he was, trying to kill Derek in his moment of glory.

“You wanna give me a heart attack so you can take all my money, don’t you?” Derek muttered, reaching for the lube that was still in the crumpled sheets.

“Like you’d care if you went out like this.”

 Derek sat back and watched Dex flip onto his stomach, eyes flicking over the dull scratches on his back and the proud bite mark on his ass, the way the still thick muscles of his shoulders bunched under his freckled skin as he shoved his hands under the pillow his head was resting on.

“Nope”, Derek agreed, running his lips over the back of his neck so Dex twisted his head around to kiss him, “always wanted to go out on top.”

“I’m gonna tell the Booker Prize about that pun and they’ll take your award away.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I am DONE!! Thank you to everyone who read, kudos'd, and commented on this. I'm now going to read a lot of non-check please based fic and stop thinking about these two for a little while.


End file.
